The Europeans

Two European siblings travel to New England to meet their American cousins in this classic satire.

Henry James’s short novel The Europeans—which made its debut in serial form in the Atlantic Monthly—is the beloved tale of Eugenia Münster and her brother, Felix Young, who travel to Boston after having spent most of their lives in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. At the heart of the story rest the concerns that most intrigued the iconic author: When does one choose money over love? When do the desires of the self become more important than the traditional wishes of a family or society?
 
Eugenia’s marriage to Prince Adolf of Silberstadt-Schreckenstein is in the process being dissolved as a result of political pressures from his family, and the jilted bride has little in common with her more docile and domestic cousins, Gertrude and Charlotte Wentworth, with whom she and her artistic brother, Felix, have come to stay. And soon Felix falls in love with cousin Gertrude, a host of other suitors threatening to complicate matters.
 
Described by literary critic F. R. Leavis as “a masterpiece of major quality,” The Europeans is one of James’s most popular works, and a delightful showcase for his keen wit and empathy.
 
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